A number of residents are dumbfounded and some even angered by the handling of a sexual assault case involving a minor and her parents by the Attorney General’s Office.
The reason? The mother was charged in court yesterday but not the stepfather who was released from prison instead.
Natasha Renee Quitugua Peters and her husband Duayne Richard Peters were arrested on Saturday on allegations that the couple raped their child since the minor was about 11 years old.
Court documents state that the assaults continued until January this year, further stating that the mother was present during the assaults against her child and that when the child was about nine years old, Duayne had raped the child with a vibrator.
Natasha was charged in court yesterday while Duayne was not.
The events in court have raised questions in the community regarding why the mother would be charged and not the stepfather.
In a press conference this afternoon, Attorney General Leevin Camacho shed light on the general rules and regulations they follow which may explain why this occurred.
“If you are arrested, we have to charge you or bring you before a magistrate judge within 48 hours or else the case will be dismissed. So you may look at that like as a technicality but that is something that our prosecutors have to deal with and make a decision on how to proceed if they do not believe they will be able to file a case within 48 hours,” the AG said.
Duayne was released from DOC custody and issued a summons to appear. This suggests that the AG may still be investigating the case. Questions directed towards the AG at a press conference this afternoon were shot down by Camacho who said they cannot comment on an ongoing case.
Natasha was charged with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct via complicity and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, both with the special allegation of vulnerable victim.
In court yesterday Judge Jonathan Quan dismissed one of the counts of second degree CSC, stating that there was no sufficient probable cause for the charge.
A hearing has been set on Feb. 27.
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